2017 July - Pro Football Rumors

Dolphins Wary Of Lowballing Jarvis Landry

July 24th, 2017 at 2:22pm CST by Zachary Links

The Dolphins have yet to offer an extension to Jarvis Landry, but it’s not due to a lack of interest. The team is wary of lowballing Landry and putting him in the wrong state of mind as he enters his contract year, Armando Salguero of The Miami Herald writes. By the same token, they do not want to make an initial offer that is too lofty, thereby setting a uncomfortably high floor for negotiations.

For the time being, the Dolphins have Landry under contract for 2017 for just $893K. After that, they have the option of hitting him with the franchise tag for roughly $15.7MM in 2018. Given that amount of team control, the Dolphins don’t necessarily have to rush to get a deal done.

The Dolphins could also be waiting to see how DeVante Parker performs this season. Last year, Parker hauled in 56 passes for 744 yards and four scores, marking a significant step forward for the former first rounder. The advanced stats from Pro Football Focus placed Parker as the 27th best wide receiver in the NFL last year. Landry, meanwhile, graded out as the 13th best WR. Parker has a ways to go before he can match Landry’s production, but it’s possible that he can close the gap in production this year. If that’s the case, the Dolphins may have to start thinking about a scenario in which they can only give big money to one of the two receivers in the long term.

Arrest Out For Cowboys’ Lucky Whitehead

July 24th, 2017 at 1:47pm CST by Zachary Links

It turns out Cowboys wide receiver Lucky Whitehead is facing some legal trouble, and it couldn’t be coming at a worse time. Whitehead missed his arraignment date for a previously unknown shoplifting charge, according to TMZ.

Whitehead was arrested for misdemeanor petty larceny in Virginia back in June. He was scheduled for arraignment on July 6th, but he never showed. Now, he’s a wanted man with a warrant out for his arrest.

The 25-year-old has served as the Cowboys’ return man for the last two seasons, but he is on the bubble this summer in part because of his limited abilities on offense. Between 2015 and 2016, he averaged 25.6 yards per kick return and 6.9 yards per punt return. Meanwhile, he had just nine receptions for 64 yards. His off-the-field issues could further hurt his chances of making the final cut.

The Cowboys are already dealing with multiple off-the-field incidents that could impact the availability of key players like running back Ezekiel Elliott and linebacker Damien Wilson. Whitehead’s situation could prove to be more trouble that it’s worth for the Cowboys.

Colts’ Andrew Luck On Target For Week 1

July 24th, 2017 at 1:01pm CST by Zachary Links

For the most part, the Colts have been reluctant to put a timetable on Andrew Luck‘s recovery this offseason. There’s still nothing set in stone, but GM Chris Ballard told reporters today he expects Luck to come off of the PUP list in time for the season opener (Twitter link via Zak Keefer of the Indianapolis Star).

Reading between the lines, Stephen Holder of the Indy Star (on Twitter) gets the feeling that Luck will be held out of preseason action as a precaution. That’s probably a smart move for the Colts considering how much is riding on Luck’s health. If Luck were to miss time, they’d be looking at a pretty big step back with reserve Scott Tolzien. Then again, Holder argues, the fact that Ballard did not bring in a more established quarterback this offseason to compete with Tolzien can be taken as a sign of optimism for Luck’s health.

Last year, Luck completed 63.5% of his passes, accumulated 4,240 yards through the air, and threw for 31 touchdowns against 13 interceptions. It was a nice bounce back for the 27-year-old after an injury-plagued 2015. This year, the hope is that he’ll revert to his Pro Bowl form and lead the Colts to the playoffs.

Texans Meeting With LB Zach Orr

July 24th, 2017 at 12:25pm CST by Zachary Links

The Zach Orr free agency tour continues. The free agent linebacker is spending Monday afternoon with the Texans, according to NFL sources who spoke with Aaron Wilson of The Houston Chronicle (on Twitter).

Already, Orr has visited the Lions, Colts, and Jets since announcing his intent to return to football. Reportedly, the Colts were uncomfortable with Orr’s medical status, and that could have also been a sticking point for the Lions and Jets.

The Texans signed Sio Moore in June as a low-cost depth option and Orr could be another late offseason addition to the linebacker group. After John Simon left in free agency to join the rival Colts, the Texans would like to sure up the unit as much as possible with the resources that are left.

Orr retired from football earlier this year, citing a congenital spinal condition. After gathering additional medical opinions, however, the 25-year-old changed course and decided that he wanted to play in 2017. Orr was initially a restricted free agent under the Ravens’ control, but he is now an UFA since the Ravens did not tender him an offer after he announced his retirement.

Orr had 130 tackles for the Ravens in 2016 – leading the Ravens by a wide margin – and earned second-team All-Pro honors. From a talent perspective, he’d be a huge addition to the Texans or any defense that would have him. However, teams will have to weigh out the upside against the potential risk associated with Orr taking the field.

Brett Veach To Control Chiefs’ Roster

July 24th, 2017 at 10:51am CST by Zachary Links

When the Chiefs promoted Brett Veach into the GM role, there were questions about exactly how much control he would have. On Monday, owner Clark Hunt clarified things a bit.

Veach will have final say over the 53-man roster, Hunt tells reporters. He’ll work in tandem with coach Andy Reid just like John Dorsey did when he was in GM, but it appears that Veach is in the driver’s seat.

There has been speculation that Reid helped to push Dorsey out the door and Hunt acknowledged that he spoke with Reid before making the decision. He did not get into specifics about Reid’s input but, as expected, the move was not made without the coach being consulted first.

There was no one single event that caused the firing of Dorsey, Hunt explained, saying that it was based on an overall evaluation of his work. That means the team’s awkward parting of ways with wide receiver Jeremy Maclin was not the impetus for canning Dorsey – if Hunt is to be believed.

Hunt says his goal is for the Chiefs to win a Super Bowl in the next 3-4 years, meaning that expectations are high for the young GM.

Free Agent Arthur Jones Has Hernia Surgery

July 24th, 2017 at 10:33am CST by Zachary Links

Former Colts defensive lineman Arthur Jones had sports hernia surgery three weeks ago, a source tells Ian Rapoport of NFL.com (on Twitter). He’ll need time to recover, so it is expected that he won’t be signing with a club until after Week 1, Rapoport adds.

Jones has been on the market ever since the Colts cut him loose in March. The veteran came to Indianapolis on a five-year, $33MM deal prior to the 2014 season, but the deal wound up being a bust. In three years with the Colts, Jones played in just 17 combined regular season games, including a completely lost 2015 season. Between the so-so production, injuries, and a 2016 PED suspension, the Colts felt they had no choice but to cut their losses.

In eight games last year, Jones tallied 30 total tackles. When he was placed on IR in December, the advanced metrics at Pro Football Focus had him ranked as the No. 120 defensive tackle out of 126 qualified players.

After healing up, Jones is hoping to show teams that he can be more like the old version of himself. He is now far removed 2013 when he tallied 4.0 sacks and 53 total tackles while starting at defensive tackle for the Ravens.

Safety David Bruton Retires

July 24th, 2017 at 8:32am CST by Zachary Links

David Bruton is done with football. The former Broncos and Redskins safety confirmed that he is not seeking work for the 2017 season.

“I’m burnt-out, definitely worry about my health,” Bruton said (via ESPN.com’s Jeff Legwold). “Another season was cut short by a concussion [in 2016] — that’s six. I’m a guy who likes to use his brain. Especially back in school, I need as many brain cells as possible with all these science classes. It came down to health, and I’ve definitely had my time in the league. I’m ready to move on.”

The longtime special-teams captain of the Broncos also acknowledged that he had less passion for the game than when he started out. After playing 108 career games – 104 with the Broncos, four with the Redskins – Bruton is appreciative of his time in the NFL, but he’s also had enough.

In 2015, Bruton set career highs in several categories, including tackles (43), interceptions (two), and passes defended (seven). He left Denver the next year, joining the Redskins on a three-year, $9MM deal prior to the 2016 season. Unfortunately, a concussion put him out of commission in October, leading the Redskins to release him in December. Bruton auditioned for the Ravens after getting cut, but he tells Legwold that the audition “did not go well at all, because I just didn’t have it in me anymore to do it.”

We here at PFR wish Bruton the best in retirement.

NFC Notes: Packers, Vikings, Falcons, Cards

July 23rd, 2017 at 8:53pm CST by Rory Parks

After taking a swing around the AFC earlier today, let’s take a look at a few NFC notes:

Teddy Bridgewater is likely to begin camp on the Active/PUP list, but Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com reports (on Twitter) the rehabbing quarterback has enjoyed some productive training sessions in Florida recently. The 24-year-old passer has not been cleared to practice but did do some throwing while at Vikings OTAs in May. Apparently, Bridgewater’s progressed further in between minicamp and training camp. But he’s still less than a year removed from the gruesome knee injury that changed the course of his career.
The Packers added defensive tackle Ricky Jean-Francois earlier this year to bolster a defensive line that badly needed reinforcements, and as Ryan Wood of PackersNews.com writes, Green Bay has been interested in the LSU product for years. The club wanted to sign him after the 2012 season, but Jean-Francois joined the Colts instead before moving on to Washington. The Redskins released him in March, clearing the way for his one-year pact with the Packers.
Patrick Peterson‘s running mate at corner has served as one of the main discussion items of the Cardinals‘ offseason. Bruce Arians said Sunday (via Darren Urban of AZCardinals.com) the position remains open and likely won’t be decided until the regular season begins. Arians, though, praised the work of Justin Bethel (Twitter link, via Urban) — less than a year after the coach labeled the corner a “failure in progress.” The Cardinals could still be in the market for a veteran corner, Urban writes, but as of now the battle is between Bethel and second-year man Brandon Williams.
Falcons head coach Dan Quinn and assistant head coach/offensive pass game coordinator Raheem Morris have been close for years, and Quinn believes Morris will get another head coaching job in the NFL, as Vaughn McClure of ESPN.com writes. Morris, of course, coached the division-rival Buccaneers from 2009-11 and compiled a disappointing 17-31 record. Nonetheless, Quinn said Morris is more than equipped to handle a head coaching position and hopes he will get his next chance in the near future. Morris declined to talk about his head coaching ambitions out of respect for Quinn and the team.

Sam Robinson contributed to this report

Browns, Jabrill Peppers Agree To Terms

July 23rd, 2017 at 7:59pm CST by Sam Robinson

The Browns and safety Jabrill Peppers agreed to terms on a customary four-year rookie contract, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets. Cleveland now has its three first-rounders and entire draft class locked up.

It’s a $10.3MM deal with a signing bonus of approximately $5.6MM, Mary Kay Cabot of cleveland.com reports, adding Peppers signed the contract.

There are now only three unsigned first round picks from this draft class — 49ers defensive end Solomon Thomas, Titans wide receiver Corey Davis and Raiders cornerback Gareon Conley. Raiders second round pick Obi Melifonwu also remains unsigned.

Guaranteed money was an issue between the Browns and the No. 25 overall pick, and Cabot specifies the holdup came from the guarantees in Year 4 of the deal, but Peppers’ camp has since found the terms agreeable. The Michigan product is signed before the Browns broke for camp. Cleveland begins its camp practice sessions on Thursday.

Peppers is expected to compete immediately for a starting job. The Browns did not have much in the way of safety depth prior to the draft. Now, they have Peppers and former Jets first-rounder Calvin Pryor in the fold.

Larry Fitzgerald Talks Retirement Plans

July 23rd, 2017 at 6:37pm CST by Sam Robinson

Despite Larry Fitzgerald putting together a 107-reception season in 2016, he was not certain to return for what will be his 14th NFL campaign. But the perennial Pro Bowler decided to come back in February.

The Cardinals star wideout addressed his status on Sunday as he prepares for another training camp.

Fitzgerald, who is set for his age-34 season, said he does not want to see his production diminish to the point he has to retire. The former No. 3 overall pick in 2004 went three consecutive seasons without a 1,000-yard campaign before reigniting in 2015 (109 catches, 1,215 yards and nine touchdowns) and playing a key role in Arizona’s NFC championship game push.

“The end is never really pretty for elite athletes,” Fitzgerald said, via Josh Weinfuss of ESPN.com. “It never looks good for the most time. You watch Michael Jordan in a Washington Wizards uniform or see Tony Dorsett playing for the Denver Broncos or Shaquille O’Neal playing for the Boston Celtics. It’s weird because you’re used to seeing them play at their most dominant stage, or Willie Mays running around with bad knees 20 years in.

“It’s not pretty but for me, I really want to be able to play and do things at a high level and be able to walk away and still be someone who can play at a high level.”

Fitzgerald is the only wideout still playing from the ’04 class. At this point, he’s the most experienced receiver in football. (Former teammate Anquan Boldin, though, is still contemplating a return for a 15th season. He’s visiting the Bills Monday.)

Injuries have not been an issue for Fitz; he’s missed just two games across the past nine seasons. Health will play into Fitzgerald’s retirement decision, but he refused to say 2017 would be his last.

“I feel good right now. When that changes, I’ll let you know. … “I don’t really make any decisions based on anybody else. I never really have. I don’t know what the future holds. That’s why this year is so much more important because we don’t have to think about what we’re doing after Feb. 4.”

The motivation of being part of a Super Bowl-winning team serves as the driving force behind Fitzgerald, a 10-time Pro Bowler, deciding to come back.

“That’s huge. That’s the only reason I’m playing at this point. From a personal standpoint and the things I’ve accomplished, they’re fine. But the thing that you will say is out of you control because you’re in a team sport, is a championship.”